The reason the Erie County GOP won't release the possible second tape of the confrontation in Greece on Wednesday is because it will show Jane Corwin's staffer disrespecting a veteran, says a spokesman for Tea Party-line candidate Jack Davis.

Curtis Ellis said a person who witnessed the incident claims that Michael Mallia, chief of staff for Jane Corwin's assembly office, jumped out of a car as Jack Davis was walking toward his car and called Davis a coward.

Mallia, he said, repeatedly called Davis a coward for not participating in last Thursday's debate.

"Here's a U.S. military veteran coming from this very somber veterans' event and some young kid is calling him a coward," Ellis said.

The event at a fire hall in Greece, sponsored by Republican David Bellavia, who endorsed Davis at the event, included a recitation of the names of all the military members killed in action in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"Coming to an event like this and yelling 'coward' at a veteran as he's leaving is an insult to every veteran, every man or woman who has ever served in the military," Ellis said. "Jane Corwin needs to apologize."

If Corwin doesn't apologize for her staffer's conduct, Ellis said, "she's no better than Jane Fonda."

When we asked to speak with the volunteer who was with Davis at the time of the incident, Ellis said, "If they dispute my account, they can release the tape. They won't do that because it will show that she's really Jane 'Fonda' Corwin. That's what it will show."

Ellis made these comments in response to our earlier post requesting that Erie County GOP Chairman Nick Langworthy either release the tape or explain how somebody could operate a video camera without knowing the battery was dead. (Langworthy has claimed he can't release the second tape because the camera battery was dead.)

At 4:30 p.m., after talking with Ellis, we e-mailed Corwin's spokesman, Matthew Harakal, and asked for a response. So far, we haven't received it.

While I'm no fan of Jack Davis, it is beyond reprehensible for the Corwin campaign to stoop to this level, at a veteran's event no less. I wonder if this Michael Mallia has ever served his country. I highly doubt it. We know Jane Corwin hasn't. And would guess that Nick Langworthy has never worn a uniform either. Shame on all of them.

Unbelievable. Jack is a lot of things but, he's no coward. These yahoos that Corwin has running her campaign are out of their minds. I can't believe they are going to lose this thing to Jack Davis of all people. What are they thinking? After all of this, who on the right wouldn't vote for Jack? Pathetic..

Jane Corwin has earned her own bar sinister. There is no need to resort to guilt by association. Her campaign tactics have clearly obviated her lack of necessary credentials; she is devoid of ethical character and unfit to represent WNY.

From an article in the Messenger Post
“This is about western New York values,” Erie County Republican Chairman Nick Langworthy said.
Langworthy needs to learn a little more about western NY values. I don't think those values include lying, dirty tricks, manipulation, dishonoring veterans, etc.

I'm leaning more towards Jack myself. The curiosity in me wants to see him go to D.C., and speak his mind. To those who claim he would be an embarrassment- really? I mean, NY politics in general has been a laughing stock for more than a few years. Massa, Lee, Rangel, Spitzer....what could he possibly hurt?
For an area that has had the likes of Barber Conable and Jack Kemp as representatives, I find the representation of the last decade or so below average, at best.

Here's how a lie is constructed. I'll describe in detail in case Mr. Harakal ever refers to sources like this before writing another of his press releases for Jane Corwin. (Thank you, Billie Owens, for pointing out that the Batavian is also a good source, along with the print media, but I'm not sure Mr. Harakal reads this either).
1. Multiple candidates applied to appear on the Democratic Party line in the 26th District Special Election. Nancy Pelosi did not have any contact with any of the fine people who put their name forward in their desire to represent this district. Nor did she fly into the district to help anyone fill out an application form. In fact, at the time, I was annoyed that the selection process was taking too long and giving Jane Corwin a long head start. Had Nancy Pelosi or anyone else been calling the shots this would have been a done deal. (Curiously, Jane Corwin's selection does have the appearance of being a done deal, but I'll leave that to others like David Bellavia or Jack Davis to describe)
2. The Democratic Party chairpersons of the seven counties met with each candidate and then chose a single candidate, Erie County Clerk Kathy Hochul, to run on the Democratic Party line. Nancy Pelosi was not in the room when the interviews took place, nor did she participate in the decision that was made.
By the way, our own Lorie Longhany was one of these county leaders - Lorie, did you get your marching orders from Nancy Pelosi, was she on speaker phone as you interviewed candidates, did she call you in the middle of the night to twist your arm, does she even know you exist? Even if none of these things ever happened, Mr. Harakal will surely find a way to make it seem so on video tape! Look for fuzzy pictures of Lorie receiving thick wads of cash in unmarked envelopes from shady characters with San Francisco accents!
3. In fact, you could make a strong assertion that the national Democratic Party paid virtually no attention to this race until about a week ago - not because of Nancy Pelosi, but because Kathy Hochul has been campaigning hard in each and every one of the seven counties and she has been rising in the polls. She is the one who has made this campaign what it is. Jane Corwin's problems in her campaign are her own doing, and Nancy Pelosi has nothing to do with that!
4. The video clip used in the Corwin ad of Kathy Hochul saying in reference to a direct question about Nancy Pelosi, "I think she's done a fine job", is one of the most manipulatively truncated edits I have ever seen. If you take the time to listen to the full interview, Hochul simply offers a polite comment about Pelosi, as most polite people would, before getting to the substance of her response to the question in which she outlines the kind of independence we can expect from her as our representative. The brief clip makes Hochul's response the opposite of what it really was.
5. Now we get to the assertion that Nancy Pelosi "hand-picked" Kathy Hochul to run in the race, a constant theme in the Corwin ads. This is not "spin". It is not "politics". It is a lie. And "guilt by association" is the worst kind of political ploy. Mr. Harakal must think voters are stupid, and, given the number of ads that keep repeating this theme, he is counting on our stupidity. And remember Jane Corwin "approved of this message".
Vote for Davis, vote for Hochul, vote for Murphy, but not for any of this nonsense.

The Jane Fonda analogy may seem over the top to those who don't remember Jane Fonda and her speech made while atop a Soviet T-10 tank in Hanoi at the height of the Viet Nam war the calling a veteran a coward at a memorial that was held to rember those lost resurects the painful memories of the taunts and harrasment service members were subjected to at the time. Many years have past and most of us who served during that time have sought to forget just what a divisive period of time that was and how those who served were shamefully treated. I still remember having to keep my temper in check while traveling in uniform and being called a baby killer, coward and worse.
For Jane Corwin and Erie County GOP chairman Nicholas Langworthy it's no big deal, for those of us that serevd it's a very big deal. Jane Corwin Langworthy are fast establishing a history of decietful practices and it is clear that they have adopted a win at any cost strategy. They kept David Bellavia out off the ballot with promises of an independent, self-financed campaign, that would be a local contest. Today, she welcomes the who's who of chickenhawks Karl Rove and Dick Armey and their astro-turf groups into our area to campaign for her and spread lies and mis-information about the other candidates. It's not enough that she has no respect for the elderly and veterans she's trying to sell the seat to these outside groups.
Just when you think Corwin and Langworthy can't sink any lower, this incident involving her chief-of-staff calling a Marine veteran a coward at a memorial for veterans, she denies any knowledge and the Erie County GOP chairman tries to cover-up the real story.

Edmund, I remember Jane Fonda and all her crap very well. At the time I was a young boy, my military time came after the Vietnam era. My brother, cousin and many of my brothers friends were in Vietnam, my Dad and Uncle were WW2 combat vets and throughout my life I have been fortunate to acquire friends who served in Vietnam and other places. I know what they thought about Hanoi Jane and I still agree. Jane Fonda went to the country we were fighting, while that country held American POW's and apologized for killing their citizens, and yes, called our servicemen and women cowards. I have no respect or use for Jane Fonda. I can't stand the "Chicken-hawks" of the Republican Party either, and I hope with all my heart Corwin does not succeed, 'cause she seems like one of them, she reminds of the Congresswoman who called Jack Murtha a coward. Their whole ilk makes me sick. Having said all that, I don't think Jane Corwin deserves to be compared to Jane Fonda, all this hate-mongering has gone far enough.

"A nation of sheep will beget a government of wolves” this quote has been attributed to both Edward R. Murrow as well as French philosopher Bertrand de Jouvenel. We are continually asked by our party leaders to accept candidates that force voters into the "lesser of two evils" decision. I have recently studied the concept and found that people from both sides are fed up with having to compromise when voting. If we continue on the path of compromise, then we are complicit in the choices we get at the polls. I understand that Kathy Hochul lines up very well with the Democratic platform and if that is your political leaning then you are not being asked to compromise, I get that. If you are a centrist Republican, then you can vote for Jane Corwin or Jack Davis comfortably. If you are a Conservative, traditional Republican, pro-life Democrat, or just a pro-life voter and cast a vote for anyone currently on the ballot, you are compromising plain and simple. That is the main reason I started my write-in endeavor and why I encourage conscience voting.
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